Saturday, December 29, 2018

A Few Words From...Niccolo Machiavelli


A return to first principles in a republic is sometimes caused by the simple virtues of one man. His good example has such an influence that the good men strive to imitate him, and the wicked are ashamed to lead a life so contrary to his example.”

There are three kinds of intelligence: one kind understands things for itself, the other appreciates what others can understand, the third understands neither for itself nor through others. This first kind is excellent, the second good, and the third kind useless.”

There is no surer sign of decay in a country than to see the rites of religion held in contempt.”

It is necessary for him who lays out a state and arranges laws for it to presuppose that all men are evil and that they are always going to act according to the wickedness of their spirits whenever they have free scope.”

5 comments:

  1. Deborah, it is a shame that Machiavelli has such a bad reputation (via The Prince) as he was passionate about republics (these are all from The Discourses, which a book reviewing the first 10 books of Livy on the history of Rome and why it succeeded as a republic prior to Caesar). I have order his The Art of War and am looking forward to it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. It is becoming my conviction that it is impossible to to have an ethical democratic republic that is multi cultural. That, and that modern liberalism and ethics are mutually exclusive properties. Morals and ethics can survive and thrive in religion but they inevitably collapse in liberal societies.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh... and a belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, TB!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Glen, I have argued for some years now that democratic or republican (small case both times) forms of government cannot exist in multi-diverse societies simply because there is no common understanding of what it is to be "us" versus "not-us". The society becomes very fragmented (as does it politics) as each group jostles for the best position of its values and concerns. A world of small republics would have its own issues (see Italy in the Middle Ages and Renaissance) but working actively against the best interests of the state is generally not one of them (except those that seek to rule themselves, which all states are prone to).

    As to your second point, history tends to show that the state, if it does not allow religion to thrive, becomes the religion of the state. The state can have no challengers for power.

    And a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours as well!

    ReplyDelete

Comments are welcome (and necessary, for good conversation). If you could take the time to be kind and not practice profanity, it would be appreciated. Thanks for posting!